UBC Wed For Life

Recently, our church partook in ViBES, our version of vacation bible school. As with most other VBS events, it was a summer week dedicated to learning more about God and seeking his presence. The theme this year was “Into the Wild” where our world was compared to the wilderness, and Jesus was revealed as the one who could help us navigate through it. It is an apt metaphor. The nature of our sin-filled society can certainly be described as wild. Despite us referring to it as civilization, at times, there seems to be very little civil about it. Danger seems to lurk around every corner. No, it is usually not lions, tigers, or bears that we have to fear, but the peril is real all the same. Sin represents the primary hazard in our modern wilderness. Sometimes, it’s the wrongdoing of others that puts us at risk. Many times it’s our own sinfulness that represents the greatest threat to us. Either way, sin is what should keep us on high alert as we stroll through the wild. ...

Water is an interesting substance. It is essential for life on this planet. We humans use it for a variety of things from drinking to cleaning to recreation. It has been one of the most vital things for our existence, but ironically, it has also been one of the most dangerous things that we’ve encountered in this world. One need only look to the stories of flooding caused by great tsunamis or as a result of large storms to see the kind of destruction and death that water can cause. There is no wonder that ancient flood stories are so common. People from virtually every region of the world have stories about great floods that came and nearly destroyed the world, or at least their part of it. Without question, the most well-known of all these stories is the Biblical account, and the star of that story is Noah. Noah’s story was even the subject of a movie in 2014. Of course, no one should ever look to Hollywood for Biblical accuracy. That movie took a wealth of liberties with t...

It’s not uncommon to hear Christians complain about feeling persecuted when featured on TV or other public forums. They rattle off a bunch of reasons why they feel like they are being attacked or discriminated against because of their faith. Some of those are valid. For example, Christians believe marriage is a union entered into at God’s will. So, it stands to reason that Christians would be against gay marriage, since the Bible tells us homosexuality is a sin. While it may not be the job of Christians to force the rest of the nation into believing that, it should certainly be the right of Christians to not hold an inherently sinful act such as a gay wedding inside God’s house. Others outside the Faith believe that stance is discriminatory on the part of Christians and use it as a reason to rail against Christianity. Other complaints Christians make are not so valid. For example, teaching Christian doctrine is not why public grade schools exist, so Christians have no ...

In our attempts to live according to God’s way, we are often put to the test by a variety of things that, at times, seem almost designed to pull us away from Him. To some extent, the effort to live right is comparable to a battle. So, it is fitting that when Paul explains how we are equipped to deal with the things set against us, he describes the tools given to us in terms of armament. If we are to have any chance in the fight against the things that oppose us, we must put on the Armor of God. Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done ever...

We recently celebrated Father’s Day. All the Believers that went to church on Father’s Day undoubtedly heard some reference to God being our heavenly father. There is good reason for that. The Bible makes it clear that we are to look at God in that way. It’s no surprise that Jesus, the Son of God, referred to him almost exclusively as Father. However, that relational term was never limited to his use. When he instructed others on how they should speak to God, he recited what we now refer to as the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13). The first part of that prayer is an acknowledgement of God as our father. Again, for Believers, that connection shouldn’t be hard to see. We understand that God is supposed to be at the head of our lives just as the Bible says the father is supposed to be the head of the family (Ephesians 5:23). God provided commandments for our betterment just like the Bible says fathers set the rules that are intended to set the children on the right path (Ephesia...

The Bible is full of stories that, at some times, seem too incredible to be true. As Believers, we know that God is capable of anything, so there is nothing that should be off the table as far as what’s possible. Still, when we go through our daily lives and fail to see anything as miraculous as some of what appears in the Bible, it can, inevitably, lead us to question whether certain things are true. Take the story of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19:1-28). Given the horrors that we know have been perpetrated in this world, the idea of a city where the people are so immoral and wicked that God would want to destroy the whole city may not be all that unbelievable. Still, you’d probably be hard pressed to come up with a city quite as bad as Sodom or Gomorrah in today’s world. We’ve all heard news reports that give us a glimpse into how far into wickedness humanity can sink. If not for rule of law and some of the authorities in place, who’s to say just how bad things could ...

The Bible gives us many stories that feature a variety of characters. Most of us can name several of these characters and tell about their lives or their feats, but sometimes the significance of the people and what they represent gets lost. For that reason, it may be useful to take a look at certain characters in the Bible and think about them not just as they fit in their own stories, but also what role they play in the story that the Bible as a whole is telling. Let’s start at the beginning with Adam. He was the first human being, and along with Eve, was the progenitor of humanity. He was not the first living thing made though. God made all the animals before Man, but then made Man to rule over all the living things of the Earth. In order for Man to rule over all other things, God had to set us apart, and his way of doing that is interesting. Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the bir...